Fender Flares in 2015

ChexOrWrex

ChexOrWrex

Ya gotta wanna
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A little after the midpoint of 2014, teams found an aerodynamic advantage, in regards to down force, by flaring out the skirts on their cars. NASCAR let it fly for the remainder of the season.

Will we see it in 2015?
 
I think they will try to control or limit flaring the fenders. But the devil is in the details on how to enforce or curtail the practice.

Does Race control black flag offenders when an extreme offense occurs? I doubt that they will want to issue a lot of black flags or post race penalties. Nobody would want those moments to be the story of the day.
 
Greg said:
I think they will try to control or limit flaring the fenders. But the devil is in the details on how to enforce or curtail the practice.

Does Race control black flag offenders when an extreme offense occurs? I doubt that they will want to issue a lot of black flags or post race penalties. Nobody would want those moments to be the story of the day.
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It creates a slippery slope of what can and cant be done to the cars.

Like last year NASCAR moved Kenseth to the back of the field before the drop of the green because they moved a decal, but did 0 to teams who bent out sheetmetal on cars to gain a speed advantage.

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I hope they ban that, they have rules for every other part of the car. I think those fender flares can easily cause a flat tire (I'm guessing that is what happened with the Kez/Gordon pass).
 
I think they'll be gone. NASCAR probably didn't want to make a rule change for them right in the middle of the season, but I bet it's addressed next year.
 
Can someone please educate me on post-race inspection in terms of the car bodys? Do they undergo the same body template inspection post-race as they do pre-race?

Common sense would tell me they can't go through the same degree of body inspection because of the "beatin and bangin" during a race. I was going to suggest a template or some way to measure the flare post race but then I realized that teams could just bend it back late in the race..
 
If they dont do anything about it over the off season, its going to have to get completely out of control before they do anything about it during the season.
 
I think they will be gone.. this might be a behind closed door meeting with the teams. Who knows how the flares would work with the new car adjustments anyhow
 
I just don't understand why if they were flared out pre race they would fail inspection but not the post race inspection?

I mean why wouldn't they just show up to the track with them flared out, if it was ok after the race?
 
Hopefully they're gone. I can see them instituting a side template for post-race inspection.
 
Wrangler1 said:
Common sense would tell me they can't go through the same degree of body inspection because of the "beatin and bangin" during a race.
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Theres plenty of video showing the jackman pulling out the skirts. So the "beating & banging" excuse wont, or shouldnt, hold.
 
ChexOrWrex said:
Theres plenty of video showing the jackman pulling out the skirts. So the "beating & banging" excuse wont, or shouldnt, hold.
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In this case no it certainly shouldn't. It should be as simple as if a pit road official assigned to the box sees a crewman pulling out the fender then that team is penalized and has to fix it. Not to mention all the cameras around.
 
If they intend on doing anything about it next year then I can't really understand why they wouldn't have this year. Seriously, how hard is it to police? We don't have any problem noticing it. NASCAR see's it. The officials see it going on. Nobody would be at a disadvantage by having everyone stopping the practice of bending them out. Stop and go. Held for a lap. End of the longest line..... Make it a rules infraction and move on to the next topic.
 
With the automated pit road officiating they're implementing next year it should be easy to catch. I see no reason for it not to be outlawed.
 
I think they allow a certain amount of body deformation due to on track contact. And true to race team ethos they exploited that part of the rules. I think NASCAR could have stopped it easily during the year, they've made such changes before.
 
whats funny is I know in the past nascar did police it. I remember watching a race with the old cars, gen 4, or pre COT. the 48 team really yanked on the right rear just ahead of the rear wheel. nascar made them fix it and it wasn't near as bad as some of the stuff we saw the last couple races this year. I was kinda suprised they started even doing it on the left side as well. it looked to me if not done correctly you could be adding in left side force which would be bad.
 
ChexOrWrex said:
It creates a slippery slope of what can and cant be done to the cars.

Like last year NASCAR moved Kenseth to the back of the field before the drop of the green because they moved a decal, but did 0 to teams who bent out sheetmetal on cars to gain a speed advantage.

200.gif
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Not really. NASCAR says, "Don't do that," and then enforces it. Doesn't matter if it was on purpose or not. Probably can't pound down on the nose to create an advantage either.
 
Revman said:
Not really. NASCAR says, "Don't do that," and then enforces it. Doesn't matter if it was on purpose or not. Probably can't pound down on the nose to create an advantage either.
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So NASCAR said "no bump drafting" and enforced it? They said "no working on cars under red" and enforced it? They said "only 12 guys in the chase" and enforced it? They put drivers on probation and enforce it?

NASCAR is infamous for their inconsistent enforcing of the rules. If NASCAR had told teams not to flare out sheetmetal, the #22 team would probably have put airplane wings on the car & NASCAR would let that fly (pun intended).
 
See the guy on the right edge in the white suit?

If he can see a wedge wrench left in the car and a catch can hanging off the rear, all the while counting 20 lug nuts in 12 seconds, surely he can see sheet metal being intentionally deformed.

They had no problem noticing Kyle Busch show them one finger. lol

large_2008%20New%20Hampshire%20June%20Sat%20NNS%20race%20Tony%20Stewart%20pit%20stop.jpeg
 
ChexOrWrex said:
So NASCAR said "no bump drafting" and enforced it? They said "no working on cars under red" and enforced it? They said "only 12 guys in the chase" and enforced it? They put drivers on probation and enforce it?

NASCAR is infamous for their inconsistent enforcing of the rules. If NASCAR had told teams not to flare out sheetmetal, the #22 team would probably have put airplane wings on the car & NASCAR would let that fly (pun intended).
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Every rule is open to interpretation, and every governing body is free to enforce those rules as they see fit (start the black helicopters). Just like going down the freeway doing 95--you can do it, and you might get away with it, but then again you will pay the price if you don't. It is this threat of consequence which keeps most in line.
 
#17D500winner said:
See the guy on the right edge in the white suit?

If he can see a wedge wrench left in the car and a catch can hanging off the rear, all the while counting 20 lug nuts in 12 seconds, surely he can see sheet metal being intentionally deformed.

They had no problem noticing Kyle Busch show them one finger. lol

large_2008%20New%20Hampshire%20June%20Sat%20NNS%20race%20Tony%20Stewart%20pit%20stop.jpeg
Click to expand...

....but wait a minute! They fired a bunch of those guys in favor of technology.....on a pit lane where the drivers themselves us a tach to regulate pit lane speed, but I digress.....Your point is well taken, however, the camera should catch more than that dude supposedly.
 
I don't think anything ignored me as much as the fender flare this year. I tried doing it to my car but I figured it wouldn't give me a competitive edge on I-80.
 
Magnethead said:
it will be gone. I bet NASCAR will require a new "safety cage strut" that the skirt will be required to be riveted to.
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agree. makin it a fixed ' can't be bent by crew ' piece will better solve problem .
 
Turn5ive said:
I don't think anything ignored me as much as the fender flare this year. I tried doing it to my car but I figured it wouldn't give me a competitive edge on I-80.
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Try pulling it out farther. See if you can wedge a hydraulic jack between the frame and the sheet metal. :D

NASCAR will put a halt to it. They'll either start black flagging it like they do when a part of the car is hanging out where other cars can run into / over it, or whack their knuckles for physically altering the car. Expect it to be in next year's rules, emphasized in the first several drivers' meetings.
 
NASCAR exec: Flared side skirts will be addressed in 2015


Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR's executive vice president and chief racing development officer, held an impromptu fan question-and-answer session Tuesday on Twitter while waiting for his flight to take off.

Here are some of the best nuggets from his replies to fan tweets:

— This season, teams found it was legal for crew members to yank the side skirts just in front of the rear wheels during pit stops, which created an odd image during races (it provided an aerodynamic benefit). But NASCAR plans to address the flared side skirts with a rule change next season, O'Donnell tweeted.

read the rest here
 
#17D500winner said:
See the guy on the right edge in the white suit?

If he can see a wedge wrench left in the car and a catch can hanging off the rear, all the while counting 20 lug nuts in 12 seconds, surely he can see sheet metal being intentionally deformed.

They had no problem noticing Kyle Busch show them one finger. lol

large_2008%20New%20Hampshire%20June%20Sat%20NNS%20race%20Tony%20Stewart%20pit%20stop.jpeg
Click to expand...



Actually he showed them 2 fingers.......... the middle one on both hands
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
NASCAR exec: Flared side skirts will be addressed in 2015


Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR's executive vice president and chief racing development officer, held an impromptu fan question-and-answer session Tuesday on Twitter while waiting for his flight to take off.

Here are some of the best nuggets from his replies to fan tweets:

— This season, teams found it was legal for crew members to yank the side skirts just in front of the rear wheels during pit stops, which created an odd image during races (it provided an aerodynamic benefit). But NASCAR plans to address the flared side skirts with a rule change next season, O'Donnell tweeted.

read the rest here
Click to expand...
Why didn't they address it this year?
 
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